


Always You

by beautifully_cyan



Category: One Direction (Band)
Genre: Album: Walls (Louis Tomlinson), Angst, Canon Compliant, Fluff, M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-05-09
Updated: 2020-05-09
Packaged: 2021-03-03 00:55:17
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 4,435
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24086212
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/beautifully_cyan/pseuds/beautifully_cyan
Summary: The one where Louis Tomlinson made us wait 891 days for a song and like the fools we are, we did.
Relationships: Harry Styles/Louis Tomlinson
Comments: 5
Kudos: 95
Collections: Walls Fic Fest





	Always You

“Louis I have an idea for a song. Well not really an idea, more like a guitar melody,” John tells the the room. The team is back in the studio for another writing session. The past couple days have been kind of a bust, not really coming with anything past the point of mere ideas for songs. To have a melody was maybe the break they needed.

“Okay great mate, go ahead and play it. We’re desperate for anything at this point,” Louis encourages him. John plays the melody on the guitar for the group and everyone is nodding their heads along with it, really liking it. “That sounds great! do you have any ideas for lyrics?”

John shakes his head, “No, I mean you know, I’m not very gifted in that department. This is all I have for it so far. Do any of you have any ideas?”

“It sounds like a song you’d have on a road trip playlist,” Andrew chimes in.

“It does,” Ali adds, “Do you have any road trip stories that we could work with Louis?”

Louis shakes his head, “No, I mean not recently.”

“Didn’t you go to Ibiza and were traveling a lot last year?” Matthew asks.

Louis clenches his teeth, “Yea, but that wasn’t the healthiest time of my life exactly. It was actually one of the more depressing times.”

“Well we don’t have to make it a happy song if that’s what you mean. Some people really don’t like traveling for some reasons, so maybe we could play on that,” Ali looks around the room. Everyone besides Louis is nodding so she continues, “What didn’t you like about it?”

Louis tries to swallow the new lump in his throat, “I was having really bad relationship problems.”

“Okay, let’s play into that. What happened?”

~~~~~

The house was dead silent. There was always music playing or a dog running around or a TV on or someone in the kitchen. At this very moment however, the only thing that could be heard were 2 heartbeats sitting next to each other on the top stair. Neither one of the owners saying anything for fear of what to say.

One of the owner’s of the heartbeat clears their throat, “You promised me. You said she was out of our lives for good Louis.”

His heartbeat only got louder and harder, so when he finally was able to speak he whispered out, “I know.”

“You said we were done with her. It took so long to get to this point and now she’s coming back? It’s not fair Louis.”

“I know,” Louis whispered.

“Why does she get to do this to us? It’s not fair.”

“I know,” Louis whispered.

“Stop saying that.”

Louis waited a moment, wracking his brain for something- anything, for him to say. When nothing came to him he said, “What do you want me to say?”

“I want you to keep your promise.”

Louis dropped his head into his hands, running his fingers into his hair, “It’s not my decision.”

“It never is! It’s always someone else’s decision and it’s always us who end up getting hurt. They never consider what we want or more importantly what you want. It’s not fair. Now she’s back and ruining our lives.”

“I know,” Louis whispered.

There’s a pause.

“Why can’t you say anything besides I know? Why don’t you care about this? Why don’t you care about us?”

Louis picks up his head out of his hands, with tears in his eyes, and turns his face, “What do you want me to say Harry? You know that they don’t give a single shit about what I say or what I want. Anyone with half a brain could see that I couldn’t stand Danielle and apparently it’s not okay for me to be ‘single’,” he uses his finger as air quotes. “Harry, you’re one of the only things I care about in this world. You and my family, but you are my family. As cliche as it is, you’re my world and I know this is hurting you, because it’s hurting me too.”

Louis strains to say the last sentence because the lump in his throat has only gotten bigger and his tears started falling. Harry doesn’t have anything to say back to that, so he pulls him into a hug and just lets his tears fall into the dip in his neck where it meets his shoulders.

Louis lets himself be held for a moment before he shifts back to the position they were in, with his head resting on Harry’s shoulder, “I wish we could just tell the truth.”

There’s a million things Harry can respond with, but instead of saying any of it he says, “I do too,” and kisses the top of Louis’ head.

Louis waits a minute before adding, “They’re making us go on a trip together to Amsterdam.”

Harry has to get over the fact that us isn’t him and Louis in this context, but Louis and Eleanor, he shuts his eyes closed tight, “Amsterdam is our place.”

Louis picks up his head and turns to look at Harry in the eye, “Jamaica is our new place.”

Harry pecks his lips finally. He wants both Amsterdam and Jamaica and every other city in the world to be their place, but Jamaica is okay for now.

“Are you not mad at me anymore?”

Harry shakes his head, “Was never mad at you.”

“Am I still breaking my promise?”

Harry sighs, “We can talk about it later.”

Louis isn’t happy with that ending to this particular conversation, but right now he’s going to take what he can get. “Okay. Do you want to take a nap together?” Harry nods and they stand up from the stairs and turn around into their bedroom. They hold each other a little tighter while they sleep, because they’re both scared for when they wake up and have to go back to the reality of their situation.

~

Louis slams the door to his hotel room shut and plops down on the bed. He calls Harry, but after 4 rings he’s greeted by his voicemail. He just lays there for a moment, staring up at the ceiling before he decides to get up and take a quick shower. He gets out and checks his phone only to see that it’s still clear of notifications. He puts on his all black outfit his manager told him to wear and lays down on the bed, scrolling through Twitter, trying to get his mind off of Harry not answering his call.

Half an hour later there’s a knock at the door, waking him from his nap he didn’t mean to take. He gets up and grabs his wallet and hotel room key. When he opens the door he’s met with Eleanor standing their with her arms crossed.

“Seriously Louis? We were supposed to leave 20 minutes ago. Let’s go.”

“I fell asleep, sorry I didn’t mean to,” Louis tells her, stepping out in the hall and closing his hotel room door.

He follows her down the hall to the elevator that takes them to the lobby. They walk across the lobby and before they’re about to step out of the door Eleanor holds out her hand with her eyebrows raised. Louis rolls his eyes, but takes her hand nonetheless.

About half way to the restaurant they’re headed towards Eleanor speaks up. “You know, it wouldn’t kill you to look a little happy.”

Louis keeps looking forward, “Sorry, I forgot to tell you that all my happiness is still at home in London.”

“It’s not like I like this either. This is my job Louis-“ Eleanor starts to say, but is cut off when her arm jerks backwards from where Louis has abruptly stopped in the middle of the sidewalk.

“Are you kidding me right now?” Louis challenges.

“It is my job-“

“A job that you didn’t have to take! The only thing you’re here doing is making all of our lives miserable and collecting your check,” Louis drops her hand and keeps walking towards the restaurant. They don’t say anything else for the rest of the walk and are quickly sat down at the restaurant. Louis orders a pint and Eleanor just has a water.

While they’re waiting for their drinks to come back Eleanor says, “I’m not trying to make your life miserable.”

Louis just looks at her with his elbows perched on the table, “No, you’re just here to collect your check and go home, right?”

“No.”

“Then why did you throw away your job and your best friend?” Louis raises his eyebrows, “You were actually making a career for yourself for something other than a professional beard.”

Eleanor tilts her head, “You know how I feel about that term.”

“Doesn’t answer my question.”

Eleanor sighs, revealing what they both already knew, “The money.”

“Is it worth it?” Louis asks as the waitress comes back with their drinks, taking their food orders and leaving them again.

Eleanor runs her fingers through her hair, “I don’t know if it’s worth it.”

“How do you think Max feels?” Louis raises an eyebrow.

“How do you think Harry feels?” Eleanor challenges.

Louis blows air out his noes, taking a deep breath, “Max doesn’t hate my guts.”

“Harry doesn’t hate mine either.”  
  
“That’s because Harry is too nice,” Louis takes a sip of his pint, “You did however steal his dog, so he is mad about that.”

“Bruce was our-"

“Mine.”

“-dog. Okay your dog, Bruce was your dog.”

“My dog, that you stole, yes.”

“Yea, but you guys have Clifford now,” Eleanor takes a sip of her water.

Louis tilts his head, “Doesn’t make up for the fact that that you still stole Bruce.”

They finish their dinner with small talk here and there, Louis pays for the bill. They then head out to a couple different bars where Louis takes a couple different photos with fans that recognize him. At one point he swears he spots Harry, or the back of his head at least, but then the guy turns around and he realizes it’s not him. They head back to the hotel room and Louis tries to call Harry again, but is yet again met with his voicemail.

Because he’s a little drunk right now he leaves a voicemail instead of hanging up like he normally does. “Harry. You’re not answering my calls. I guess you knew that since you’re listening to this voicemail. Anyways, I got Eleanor to admit that she stole Bruce from us. I count that as a win on this losing trip. I miss you. Call me back.”

~~~~~

“John play the guitar part, I want to try something,” Louis tells him, altering thinking back to earlier this year. John nods and starts playing, on the third guitar melody Louis sings, “ _I went to Amsterdam without you and all I could do was think about you and oh, I should've known. I went to Ibiza to let it go, drink after drink, but I still felt alone I should've known._ ”

Everyone in the room is vibing with what he added and Ali suggests, “What if you say Tokyo instead Ibiza? I think that was the only part that didn’t flow.” Louis nods and she sings, “ _I went to Tokyo to let it go._ ”

Andrew nods, “Do you have anymore stories Louis? That’s a really good start.”

~~~~~

**Louis:** Just landed. xx

Louis’ text goes unanswered, but he doesn’t pay it any mind and follows his driver to the car where he is taken to his home. When he gets there he takes his bags from the driver and gives him a hug, thanking him for the ride. He unlocks the front door and walks in calling out, “Harry, I’m home!”

He doesn’t hear any noise from the kitchen and the TV in the living room isn’t on, so he heads upstairs with his bags and he isn’t in their room either. He looks out their window to see he’s not in the backyard either. He heads back downstairs and spots one of Clifford’s tennis balls on the carpet in the living room. He then realizes Clifford isn’t anywhere to be found either. He comes to the conclusion that Harry must be taking him for a walk. Louis sits on their couch and turns on Netflix to an episode of GoogleBox.

After the episode ends he realizes Harry should’ve been back by now. He walks to the garage and when he sees that Harry’s car is gone his shoulder’s sink. He calls Harry as he walks back into the living room, but is met with no answer. He calls Anne to see if she knows, since he knows her and Harry talk on the phone everyday.

“Hello?”

“Anne, oh my god. How are you?”

“I’m good darling,” Anne smiles, “I’m assuming you’re calling about Harry?”

Louis lets out a single laugh, “Yeah, I thought he was on a walk, but I just realized his car isn’t here. I just got home from the airport and I haven’t heard from him since I took off.”

“Oh, I’m sorry about that Louis. He came up here to spend the day with me, because he didn’t want me to be alone,” Anne apologizes.

Louis feels like he should be the one apologizing right now, realizing what today is, “Anne, I’m so sorry. I was being totally selfish and didn’t realize what today was. I’ll let you get back to-“  
  
Anne interrupts him, “Louis, sweetheart, it’s okay. You just had long flight, I understand.”

Louis nods, “How is he doing?”

“He’s um-“ Anne clears her throat, “He’s okay. He has good days and bad days. The last few have been bad, so hopefully his surgery today helps.”

Louis feels awful now, “Okay, I’ll still let you get back to Harry. Braid his hair for me, he loves it when you do that.”

Anne finally laughs, Louis counts it as a win, “I will. Get some rest, I know you had a long flight.”

“I will and you should as well,” Louis smiles, “Love you.”

“I love you too Lou.”  
  
Louis smiles at the nickname and the 2 say their goodbyes. He heads out onto the deck for a smoke to hopefully clear his head, but it only clouds it. He thinks back to when him and Harry were walking around New York and Louis watched his nose scrunch up every time they walked past someone smoking.

~

“Why do you keep doing that?” Louis tilts his head.

Harry turns to him, expression hard to read with his sunglasses and hoodie on (even though he’s wearing the same), “Doing what?”

“Scrunch your nose every time walks by smoking a cigarette.”

“Oh,” Harry shrugs his shoulders, “I don’t know. I hate the smell, I guess I didn’t realize I was doing it.”

Louis scoffs, “No you don’t.”

“Don’t what?”

“Hate the smell,” Louis laughs

Harry laughs with him, “Yes I do.”

“You never do that when I smoke. No matter the place, I’ve never seen you do that.”

“Oh,” Harry shrugs his shoulders again, “I guess I don’t mind so much if it’s you.” Louis stops walking at that, making Harry turn around to laugh, “What?”

Louis lowers his sunglasses so Harry can see how serious he is, “I’m going to kiss the shit out of you when we get back to the apartment.”

“Not if I get there first,” Harry laughs and then takes off running down the street. Louis takes off after him and Harry beats him, which Louis blames on the fact that his legs are shorter, but Harry laughs, “Legs have nothing to do with it. Your lungs just aren’t as strong as mine.”

Harry still kisses the shit out of him, so Louis counts it as a win.

~

Louis has a hard time falling asleep that night in their bed alone, but he wakes up to the garage door opening at 11:09 a.m. the next morning. When Louis realizes what’s happening he gets up to go downstairs and is met by a very eager Clifford half way down. Louis scratches behind his ears, but keeps walking down to meet Harry in the kitchen. He doesn’t see him at first with all the stuff in his hands, but when he sets it down and see Louis his smile grows.

Louis walks straight up to him and engulfs him in a hug. Harry hugs him back right away and smiles into his neck, “Hi beautiful.”

Louis runs his fingers through the hair at the bottom of Harry’s neck, “Hi baby.” He pulls back and pecks Harry’s lips, “I’ll take the pooch out, before he takes it out on the floor.”

Harry laughs, “Thank you. I’m going to take everything upstairs and meet you outside, okay?”

Louis nods and Harry pecks his lips one more time, before letting him go. “Cliffy, let’s go out before your Dads’ kill you, okay? You wanna go out? You wanna go out?” Clifford starts barking with his tail wagging rapidly, “Okay let’s go out!” Louis hears Harry laughing at the two as he follows the dog to the door that leads them out to the porch and the backyard.

Clifford initially pees on the bottom post that meets the grass. Louis rolls his eyes at the dog, of all the places to go, he goes on their white post. He walks around for a little before assuming his kangaroo position and pooping. He’s now doing is routine of sprinting around the backyard in circles when Harry comes out, wrapping his arms around Louis’ waist from behind.

“I think he gets it from his dad,” Harry chuckles in his ear.

Louis snorts, “Running for pleasure? 100%.”

Harry tilts his head, “I meant the endless energy, but I guess that truly makes him our dog.”

Louis smiles, twisting his body around enough to silently ask Harry for a kiss. He complies, pecking his lips, and then kisses his forehead, “Missed you.”

“Missed you more,” Louis kisses him back, turning back around to look at the perfect time of Clifford hacking in the bushes. “Lovely,” whispers to himself, making Harry laugh, before shouting, “Clifford, let’s go inside!”  
  
Clifford perks his head up and then trots back to the porch where the 2 of them are standing. Harry unwraps his arms and Louis turns to him, “What did you feed him?”

“He really likes the grass at Mum’s for some reason,” Harry shrugs his shoulders, opening the door for the 3 of them and then heading to the couch. “You coming?”

Louis nods, “In a second, I just woke up so I’m making a bowl of cereal. Do you want anything?”

“No, Mum made a full english before I left.”

“How’s she doing?” Louis asks, taking down his favorite cereal from the cabinet.

Harry turns on the TV, “She’s okay. She’s really worried about Robin. The doctors keep saying that the cancer is only getting worse.”

“How did the surgery go?” Louis closes the door to the fridge.

“Okay. They found more tumors than what they found on his scan. They got all of them, but they’re not positive that they’re not going to come back,” Harry’s voice gets quieter as he talks. Louis knows that Anne isn’t the only one hurting. Louis knows that Harry really loves his Step-Dad and it hurts to him to see him only get sicker and his Mum get sadder because of that. They don’t think he’s going to make it to the end of the year, but nobody says anything about it.

Neither one of them say anything more, but when Louis finishes his cereal at the kitchen table he puts his bowl in the sink and then walks to the living room. He hovers at the end of the couch for a second before Harry looks up laughing, “What are you doing over there?”

“Where am I supposed to sit?” Louis laughs, looking down at Harry laying down and Clifford matching his position on the other side of their L-shaped couch. Harry stretches out his arms with a laugh and Louis rolls his eyes playfully, but still goes to lay on his chest. As soon as he’s settled Harry wraps his legs around his waist, making Louis laugh, “What are you doing?”

“Holding you as close as possible,” Harry laughs with him and it’s not long before Harry’s legs relax and the 2 of them fall asleep for an impromptu nap.

~~~~~

Louis smiles at the recent memory and looks around the room, “I think I have it.”

“Have what?” Andrew raises his eyebrows.

Ali throws a wadded up piece of paper at his head, “The song dummy."

Louis laughs and the 5 of them get to work on the song. They work for the next 2 hours and finish with a song that they all really love. Louis and Ali polished off the lyrics within 30 minutes and Matthew worked with him Jason, and Andrew on the music of the song, trying to get the sound just right. When the song is playing for then room, everyone has a smile on their face, really happy with what they came up with.

They all head home shortly after that and when Louis walks in the door he sees Harry on the couch of their L.A. home reading. Louis puts his stuff on the kitchen table and hears Harry call out, “Hey babe, what were you thinking for dinner?” Louis walks over to the couch, taking the book out of Harry’s hand, placing it facedown to not loose his place, which he meets with small protests, “Hey I was reading that!”

Harry laughs as he says it, so Louis knows he’s not actually mad. He pushes his reading glasses into his curly hair as he climbs onto his boyfriend’s lap, “I wrote you a song today.” 

Harry puts his hands on Louis’ waist, “You did?

Louis nods with a bright smile, “It’s called Always You.” Harry tilts his head in adoration, but Louis continues, “Do you want to hear it?”

“Of course I want to hear it!” Harry laughs tickling his sides.

Louis laughs with him, pecking his lips, “Okay give me a second.” He pulls up his music library as Harry kisses the side of his neck. He makes sure that his phone is connected to their bluetooth speakers and clicks play.

“I like the guitar,” Harry smiles. Louis mouths “Listen” to him and Harry laughs, but quickly stops when he hears Louis’ voice coming through the speakers. He listens intently as the song plays out and laughs whenever Louis pokes his cheek when the Louis singing says “ _My Baby._ ” When the song ends Harry can’t contain his smile, “I love it.”

“Really?” Louis matches his smiles.

Harry nods and kisses him deeply. After a minute Harry stands up and Louis quickly wraps himself around him, breaking the kiss, “Am I getting rewarded for my brilliant song?” Harry just nods and continues to kiss him as he drops them onto the bed. “You’re crazy."

“Only for you,” Harry winks down at him.

“It’s called Always You,” Louis laughs.

“I know,” Harry smiles, kissing him deeply again.

~~~~~

Louis hasn’t said a word since Harry picked up from the record label. Harry really tries not to pry when Louis is upset like this, but it’s been 30 minutes and it’s never been so awkward between them. The awkwardness doesn’t help the in general uncomfyness of day hot summer day in L.A., in late August nonetheless. Louis isn’t even on his phone, he’s just staring out the window with an angry expression on his face.

Harry finally asks, “Do you want to talk about it?”

Louis finally looks at him, “They said I can’t have Always You on the album.”

Harry raises his eyebrows, “You wrote that song 6 months ago, why are they just telling you now?”

“I don’t know Harry. I really don’t! They’re all a bunch of daft pricks that can’t care about anyone or anything, but themselves and the fact that this really makes me upset, doesn’t seem to phase them at all,” Louis only raises his voice the more he talks. Harry takes one of his outstretched hands into his and kisses his knuckles. The more kisses he gives him, the more he visibly calms down. “They said it’s too obvious.”

“Obvious?”

“That’s it’s about you,” Louis sighs.

Harry doesn’t have the words. Normally he’d argue, or give him advice, but he can’t disagree. “This is like medicine all over again.”

Louis sinks further into his seat, “Aren’t they letting you sing it on tour?”

Harry shakes his head, “No. Well, not the small venue tour, but they said I could next year for the arena tour.”

“Aren’t they still not going to let you release it after that tour?” Louis raises his eyebrows.

“That’s what they said, but by that point the fans will be begging for it, they’ll have to let me,” Harry glances over to him, to see his expression is much more hopeful now. “Why do you have that look on your face?”

“Do you have it on your phone?” Louis smiles.

Harry nods, “Yeah, it’s in my music library. Why?” Louis takes Harry’s phone out of the cup holder and pulls up his music library. Harry glances over, “What are you doing?”

Louis waves his hand, “Don’t worry about it. Don’t crash the car. Don’t talk while the song is playing.”

Harry laughs, “Yes sir.”

Louis messes around on both of the phones for a moment and then the song is playing and Harry can see that Louis is filming his driving. After the first verse is over Louis pauses the song, leans over and kisses Harry’s cheek. Harry is resting on the break and Louis shows him the phone, “Here, look.”

Harry watches the phone and sees the Instagram video he just took of the song. Harry laughs, “The emoji is a nice touch”

“Thanks,” Louis laughs, clicking send. Harry kisses his cheek and when Louis turns his head he kisses him square on the mouth. They break apart when the car behind them honks. “You can kiss me later curly.”

Harry grabs his hand again and kisses the back of it, “I’m really proud of you, Lou.”

“You love me?”

“Always,” Harry smiles and looks over at him and sings with the song, “ _Always you._ ”

~~~~~

**891 Days Later**

**Album:** Walls

 **Artist:** Louis Tomlinson

 **Track 8:** Always You


End file.
